Treatment of cork.



M. GRfiNzWEIG.

TREATMENT OF CORK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1909.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

ENTT

TREATMENT OF CORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

Application filed November 30, 1909. Serial No. 530,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX Gntinzwnio, chemist, and a subject of theGermanEmperor, and resident of Ludwigshafenon-the- Rhine, in the Kingdomof Bavaria, Germany, whose post-ofiice address in Faegerstrasse No. 11,have invented new and use tul Improvements in the Treatment of Cork, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the treatment of corkas described in the application No. 404961.

Experiments have shown that oomminuted cork might advantageously bealtered in its physical and chemical condition and increased in volumeby applying heat to it in the following way using a rotary kiln, asshown in the drawings. I

Figure 1 is'an elevation partly in section, Fig. 2 an end view of thekiln.

. K is an ordinary rotating kiln supported and actuated in a well knownmanner.

The comminuted cork is fed ina hopper A at the upper end of the kiln andpasses through it to the lower end. The lower end v is incased andconnected with a conduit E, through which the combustion gases of agenerator or furnace enter into the kiln. These gases enter at atemperature of about 000700 C., pass through the kiln partly through thecorkand partly over it and escape after having heated the cork through apipe F. The cork moves slowly down the kiln aiid is heated to atemperature up to 400 C.

The length and speed of the kiln is so regulated that the cork comesnear-to this temperature. The same time from 30% to 50% by weight of itsvolatile components are distilled and pass off artly with the combustiongases, and part y after the escape of the cork out of the kiln. The corkfalls at the lower end of the kiln into a conveyer of the well knownworm type. Here thehot cork dismissing the last part of the distillationproducts is conveyed through a closed conduit C and is cooled thereby.At the end D of the conduit the cork is sufficiently cooled to bebrought into contact with the open air without danger of inflammation.It is understood that the heating gases may enter also at F and escapeat E.

Now what 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is thefollowing:

1. The process of treating comminuted cork, consisting in evaporatingvolatile products from the cork to an extent equal to from 30 to percent. of the weight of the untreated cork, by passing a stream of gas,

at a temperature of from 600 to 700 C., into intimate contact with thecork and controlling the time of action of the hot gas to keep thetemperature of the cork 400 C. or less.

2. The process of treating comminuted cork, consisting in evaporatingvolatile products from the cork to an extent equal to from 30 to, 50 percent. of the weight of the untreated cork by passing-a stream ofcombustion products at a temperature of from 600 to 700C. into intimatecontact with the cork, agitating the cork while passing the stream ofcombustion products into intimate contact with it and controlling thetime o'f action of the hot gas to keep the temperature of the cork 400C. or less. I

3. The process of treating comminuted cork, consisting in evaporatingvolatile products from the cork to an extent equal to from 30 to 50 percent. of the weight of the untreated cork by passing a stream of gas ata temperature of from 600 to 700 into intimate contact with the cork,controlling the time of action of the hot gas to keep the temperature ofthe cork 400 C. or less, and finally conveying the heated cork through aclosed conveyer for coolin it.v

n testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two witnesses, this seventeenth day of November,1909.

MAX GRUNZWEIG.

WILHELM BRITI'ERMANN.

